For Immediate Release
Contact: Les Riley, Personhood Mississippi – (662) 760-8695
            
 
 
Liberty Counsel Files Response to ACLU Lawsuit Against
 Personhood Mississippi Ballot Initiative
 
August 12 (Jackson) – Liberty Counsel will file a motion to intervene in a lawsuit filed by the ACLU and Planned Parenthood in Hinds County, Mississippi Circuit Court today on behalf of Les Riley and Personhood Mississippi to prevent the voices of over 130,000 Mississippi voters from being silenced.
Last month, the ACLU and Planned Parenthood filed suit against Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann asking the court to stop Secretary Hosemann from doing his duty under law and delivering the Mississippi Personhood Amendment (Initiative Measure 26) to the legislature to be placed on the ballot next year. Last year over 1000 grassroots volunteers helped collect and certify the signatures of over 130,000 voters across Mississippi to put the measure on the ballot in 2011. Initiative 26 would legally define the unborn child as a “person” in state law, ensuring equal rights to all people including the unborn, and setting up a possible challenge to Roe v. Wade.
 
The suit claims that Initiative 26 is unconstitutional because it violates the prohibition against using the initiative and referendum process for “the proposal, modification or repeal of any portion of” the bill of rights. Initiative 26 does not propose any new right, nor does it modify or repeal any portion of the Mississippi Bill of Rights.
When asked about the Liberty Counsel filing on their behalf, Les Riley of Personhood Mississippi stated, “The misnamed ACLU has been dishonestly perverting the Constitution and using court decisions for decades to support the denial of rights to unborn people. We want to stop them from denying the rights of Mississippians to participate in the process, vote, and ensure equal rights to all. I do not know whether Planned Parenthood is concerned that the passage of the Personhood Amendment will interrupt their systematic genocidal program against minorities or it is worried about the impact it will have on their profitable abortion-releated services revenue stream that is part of their billion-dollar annual budget. But it is obvious they understand that if the citizens of Mississippi vote then the days of killing unborn children and harming women under color of law may be coming to an end.”
 
Steve Crampton, a Tupelo attorney with Liberty Counsel commented : “We do not
believe there is any merit to this lawsuit, and are eager for an opportunity to rebut the baseless charges of the ACLU. Perhaps more telling than the substance of the lawsuit is the fact that several New York lawyers for both ACLU and Planned Parenthood Federation of America signed the complaint seeking to deny Mississippians the fundamental right to vote on a proposed amendment to our State Constitution.”
 
Pastor Joseph Parker of Tupelo commented, “Planned Parenthood has killed more African-Americans in a 7 day period than the Ku Klux Klan killed and/or lynched in the last 150 years. They are no friend of the Black community and never have been. This lawsuit is not surprising; this is very much in line with who they are and what they are all about.” Parker has served in the African Methodist Episcopal Church for most of the last 34 years in Mississippi and Tennessee. He and his wife Birdie are part the growing tide of pro-life minority Christian leaders; they have been involved in standing for life and against abortion for the past 15 years.
  ###

Article Link: http://www2.wrbl.com/news/2010/jul/19/ga-right-life-ask-about-personhood…

GA Right to Life ask about a “Personhood Amendment” on ballot
By Sarah Panko
Published: July 19, 2010

Muscogee County voters who ask for a republican ballot tomorrow will see something a little different.

You will find a question on the ballot that reads;

“Do you support an amendment to the Georgia State Constitution so as to provide that the paramount right to life is vested in each human being from the earliest biological beginning until natural death?” The question is being posed by the non-profit group, Georgia Right to Life.

The organization asked the Muscogee County Republican Party to put the question on the Republican ballot, and they agreed.

According to its website the group says it promotes values and protects human life. The question asks when someone’s life begins and if you would support an amendment that would allow the legislature to pass laws that would protect life from the “earliest biological beginning until natural death”

According to Elections Director Nancy Boren, the question is not a binding referendum and,

Therefore, carries no weight. The question will appear on 47 ballots. One is a democratic ballot.

Personhood Mississippi responds to lawsuit against right to life and right to vote in Mississippi

ACLU and Planned Parenthood attorneys have filed an injunction against the Mississippi Secretary of State, seeking to disallow Mississippi voters from voting on the Mississippi Personhood Amendment.

Amendment sponsors and volunteers exceeded state signature requirements on February 17, becoming only the fourth successful ballot initiative since 1992. The one-sentence amendment reads, “The term ‘person’ or ‘persons’ shall include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning or the functional equivalent thereof.”

“I find it ironic that the plaintiffs would wait until the first day the court is open after Independence Day, then file a lawsuit that seeks to continue the oppression of the preborn and deny the rights of over 130,000 Mississippi voters,” commented Steve Crampton, renowned Liberty Council Constitutional Attorney.

In regards to the injunction, Lt. Governor Phil Bryant said, “It is unfortunate that certain people would want to block the protection of innocent human life here in Mississippi by filing suit. Not only are they trying to stop pro-life policy but are also trying to deny the voters of Mississippi an opportunity to voice their beliefs on this issue. Those of us who believe there is nothing as important as protecting the unborn will continue to fight to give Mississippians the right to vote to end abortion in our state.”

The ACLU has also joined forces with Planned Parenthood in Nevada, Missouri, and Alaska, employing similar tactics to keep Personhood petitioners and voters from exercising their Constitutional rights. In those states, despite costly delays, the courts have yet to issue a ruling.

“As to the statement that we are ‘redefining a fertilized egg as a person’ it has always been the practice of those who want to deny rights to others to use terminology to dehumanize them. There is no such thing as a fertilized egg, as the new life they are referring to is no longer an egg but a person with his or her own DNA,” explained Les Riley, sponsor of the Mississippi Personhood Amendment. “Further, The ACLU and Planned Parenthood attorneys allege that the one-sentence amendment modifies the Bill of Rights, yet the proposed amendment does not modify any section of the Bill of Rights, it simply clarifies to whom those rights apply. We are not in any way ‘amending’ the Bill of Rights. We do not strike out, insert, substitute any words, or formally alter the current Bill of Rights in any way.”

Continued Riley, “This is clearly a preposterous lawsuit, intended to interfere with Mississippi citizens’ right to vote, and to protect Planned Parenthood’s abortion cash cow. Planned Parenthood and the ACLU are seeking to protect Planned Parenthood’s one billion dollar a year profit, while Mississippi voters are seeking to protect innocent life. We intend to fight this suit, defending our rights as Mississippi voters and the most basic right of preborn children, the right to life.”

Dear Friends,
I am so excited to share this new article from the AFA Journal – the monthly publication of the American Family Association – featuring Personhood USA!

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Journal/editorial.aspx?id=990944

There’s no need to explain what an honor this is, considering the vast impact and outreach of American Family Association. Still, we are shouting glory to Jesus for this wonderful representation of Personhood USA. This article offers a startling contract to the biased mainstream media, which often does a hack job on our quotes and comments.

AFA’s professionalism in printing our quotes in their entirety was a breath of fresh air!

But this article is just the tip of the iceberg!

AFA has outwardly spoken out about Personhood, which is no less than what we would expect of a Christ-centered, pro-family and pro-life organization. Even better, though, they put their money where their mouth is!

AFA already has an outstanding reputation for not just talking the talk, but walking the walk as well. But in a sea of organizations that have claimed to be pro-life, even pro-personhood of the preborn baby, AFA is one of the few who has backed their word with deed.

Did you know that the American Family Association was instrumental in helping us to get Personhood Mississippi on the ballot?  
Did you know that they were a HUGE help in Montana and California, as well?
If you’re going to have a giant in your corner, AFA is about as big as they get.

And we couldn’t thank them enough for going to bat for preborn babies and fighting the Personhood battle with us. Thank you AFA!

Please enjoy this article, and help us to thank AFA for all they are doing in support of the personhood rights of preborn babies!
Keith Mason

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Journal/editorial.aspx?id=990944

Mississippi Personhood Amendment Officially On 2011 Ballot
JACKSON / April 1 – Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann has notified Personhood Mississippi that enough valid voter signatures have been certified to ensure a spot on the November 2011 ballot.
The Mississippi Personhood Amendment states “The term ‘person’ or ‘persons’ shall include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning or the functional equivalent thereof.”
“The Legislature of the State of Mississippi has passed just about every restriction on abortion that can be passed.  Still, about 3,000 preborn persons are murdered annually here.   The churches and pro-life people of Mississippi are rising up to stop this slaughter, to recognize children as innocent persons, and to protect them by love and by law.  We believe that the Mississippi Personhood Amendment will be voted into the Constitution, and defended,“ commented Les Riley, sponsor of the Personhood amendment.
On February 16, the citizen-led grassroots organization Personhood Mississippi submitted over 130,000 signatures, affirming the personhood rights of preborn babies in Mississippi. The Personhood Amendment is the fourth ballot initiative since 1992 to be placed on the State Ballot. This was the first all citizen grassroots led effort to make the ballot in State history.
“Glory to God!  Mississippi has become the first state in the South to attempt to end baby-murder by recognizing the personhood of preborn children and protecting them,” added Cal Zastrow, co-founder of Personhood USA.
www.personhoodmississippi.com
For More Information Call: 
Les Riley 662-760-8695, Cal Zastrow 601-454-4819
Personhood Mississippi is a statewide grassroots organization of concerned citizens who value human life. Personhood Mississippi is sponsoring the Personhood Amendment to the Mississippi constitution, stating “Be it Enacted by the People of the State of Mississippi: SECTION 1. Article III of the constitution of the state of Mississippi is hearby amended BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION TO READ: Section 33. Person defined. As used in this Article III of the state constitution, “The term ‘person’ or ‘persons’ shall include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning or the functional equivalent thereof.” This initiative shall not require any additional revenue for implementation.”